Forum

The work of reconciliation.

We are living in difficult times for the Christian church.  Fighting for relevance and visibility in an increasingly hollow and mindless world, it is caught up in a needless internal fight over things such as homosexuality.  Instead of being a reconciling force within the larger society, the church is disintegrating because of its own miseable worries. 

In this mess, there is a profound lack of trust in God's power to heal, to reconcile, to unite and free us all.

It is amazing that LGBTQ people continue to work with the larger church, at no small cost to ourselves, to try to create an environment for reconciliation.  In the Lutheran churches in America, the Reconciling in Christ movement is identifying local congregations which ty to embody this reconciling spirit.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 (verses 25-28 here) teaches us all we need to know about this ugly controversy and power struggle:

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.  He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him."

What is notable here is that the older brother did not recognize any need for reconciliation, but focused only on the dynamic of father and younger brother in terms of obedience, and his own not- stepping-out-of-line. 

What's wrong?  The older brother apparently didn't recognize that a profound reconciliation had taken place between the father and his brother on the road home.  He as not yet ready to see how and why he needed to reconcile himself with his brother-- or to face the resentment he had carried against his father for so long!  In fact, he admits to the estrangement between him and his brother when he refers to him as "this son of yours."  In other words, "he's no brother of mine!"

But, Older Brother, the parable is not about you!  It's about the reconciling will of God, the Father figure, who reocnciled himself to the younger son by declaring his welcome home.